Stanchion.



P. W. MOLDENHAUER.

STANOHION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.19, 1912.

1,95 2%. Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK W. MOLDENHAUER, OF 'OCONOMOWOC, WISCONSIN.

sTANcHIoN.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. MoL- DENHAUER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of Oconomowoc, in the county of \Vaukesha and Stateof \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStanchions; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical andeffective animal stanchion especially designed .for use in stablingcows, the construction and arrangement being such that a series of suchstanchions can be simultaneously controlled, or one or more separatestanchions may be separately controlled by manipulation of individualactuating rods that are adapted to be coupled to or uncoupled from amaster controlling rod.

Other objects of my invention are to provide a two-arm lever for eachstanchion that is in link connection with the bows thereof in suchmanner that the points of the lever to which the links are attachedtravel to or beyond the center of said lever when the bows are closed tothus lock said bows positively without the aid of spring snaps or dogsusually employed for the purpose; to provide means whereby the stanchionbows can swivel about a common axis when the said bows are closed; toprovide individual manipulating rods for each stanchion lever that areadapted to be either coupled to the master rod or detached therefrom andlocked in connection with the usual overhead stanchion supporting rail;to provide a sectional stanchion rail and means for adjusting eachsection whereby the stanchion that is supported by said rail may bemoved forward or backward to accommodate difi'erent size cattle, and toprovide means in connection with the ends of the stanchion bows wherebythe same are supported in suspension within a slot with which thesectional rail is provided.

lVith the above and other minor objects in view the invention consistsin what is herein shown and described with reference to the accompanyingillustrations and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 represents a plan view of a stanchion mechanismembodying the features of my invention, the stanchion bows being shownin their open position; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view of Specificationof Letters Patent.

Application filed August 19, 1912.

Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

Serial No. 715,739.

the same with the parts shown in their open position, the section beingindicated by line 22 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3, represents a side elevation ofthe stanchion and supporting frame therefor, parts being broken away andother parts in section to more clearly illustrate certain structuralfeatures with the stanchion bows shown in their closed position; andFig. 4, a detailed plan sectional view across the stanchion bow endsillustrating the means for suspending the stanchion members, the sectionbeing indicated by line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring by characters to the drawings, 1 represents vertical supportinposts having brackets 2 extending from their upper ends, the bracketsbeing provided with seats for the reception of the ends of an overheadstanchion rail section 3, which rail is built up from parallel membersspaced apart and connected at their ends by tiller blocks 3, whereby aslot is formed in said rail. The rail is adapted to be adjusted forwardor backward upon its supporting brackets by means of slots 2 that areformed in the bracket seats.'which slots are engaged by retaining bolts2", 2" that extend through the ends of the rails and said slots. Thuswhen the device is to be utilized for a short animal the retaining bolts2", 2" are loosened and said rail is adjusted rearward, it being obviousthat for a larger animal the rail would be moved ahead.

A yoke-bar 4 is anchored to the flooring of the stall by means of achain 5 as shown, and pivoted to the ends of the yoke-bar are a pair ofneck-bows 6, the upper ends of said neck-bows being extended through therail slot and terminate with alined trunnions 6 6". are also eachprovided with a semi-circular collar 7, 7 the lower face of which collarmembers are arranged to rest upon the upper face of the rail, wherebythe stanchion is held in suspension. lVhen the neck-bows The said upperends of the bows are closed, as shown in Fig. 1, these semi- .9, 9', theends of which arms carry wristtension on which is swiveled an earedshackle 13, the same being in hinge connection with one end of anindividual actuating rod 1.4, which rod and its connection is upon adifferent plane from that of the links 12 and 12, the latter being uponthe same plane.

The free end of the rod 14 is provided with an apertured head 11 thatterminates with a handle extension whereby the rod may be manuallyoperated. The head aperture is adapted to effect coupling engagementwith a pin 15 that is carried by a master controlling rod 16 and when itis desired to operate the stanchion independent of the master rod theindividual rod is disengaged from the pin 15. When so disengaged, shouldit be desired to open the neck-bows of the stanchion, the rod is thrustforward to thus oscillate the two-arm lever whereby the neck-bowsthrough their link connections will be spread apart. In this openposition the aperture 14 in the head 14 of the individual rod is seatedover a locking tongue 17, which locking tongue is secured to the railsection, there being a similar locking tongue 17 provided for thereception of the head aperture when the stanchion is closed. When saidstanchion is closed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it will be observed thatowing to the fact that the trnnnioned ends of its neck-bows are in axialalinement that the stanchion is capable of being oscillated to permitfree movement of the neck and head of the animal, it being also observedthat when the neck-bows are spread apart or open that the collars 7, 7serve as supports for said members, the collars being adapted to slideupon the upper face of the overhead rail. It is also apparent that whenthe stanchion is closed, a straight line drawn between the connectingpoints of the links 12 and 12 would approximately intersect the fulcrumstud 8 of the two-arm lever, whereby the bow members are automat-icallyand positively locked against thrust movement imparted thereto.

The master rod 16 is slidably mounted in boxes 18 that are formed in thestandard portions ofithe brackets 2, it being understood that saidmaster rod extends through the entire series of alined stanchions,whereby an operatorican open or close the series simultaneously, due tothe individual rods being in coupling connection with said master rod.Then the neck-bows are fully opened, their movement is limited by theirupper ends engaging the ends of the slots formed in the rail 3 as bestshown in Figs.

1 and 5 and while I have not illustrated ajny means for locking themaster rod in its idjusted positions it is apparent that the standard ofthat bracket adjacent to the handle of said master rod may be providedwith such means accessible to the operator.

While I have specifically described the structural features asillustrated in the drawings, forcarrying out my invention, it isunderstood that I may, without departing from the spirit of saidinvention, substitute other structural features for accom-,

plishing the same results, as are known to those skilled in the art, theprinciples embodied in theinvention being under all conditionsunchanged. It is also "within the scope of my invention to provide oneof the neck-bows with a rigid connection to the yoke-bar, whereby only asingle neck-bow is opened or closed through its link connection with thetwo-arm lever. Furthermore it is apparent that owing'to the shackle oruniversal connections between the lever and individual operating rod,that shift of the sectional rail can be effected, and that said rod maybe raised or lowered to effect a coupling connection between the tongues17 17 the shackle connections being provided for this purpose.

I claim:

1. A stanchion comprising a shackled yoke-bar, oppositely disposed bowspivoted thereto, a vertically disposed trunnion carried at the end ofeach bow upon different horizontal planes, whereby said trunnions areadapted to be axially alined when the .bows are closed to form a commonpivot point, a slotted rail through which the upper ends of the bowsproject, a collar carried lay-each bow at its upper end for engagementwith the rail, an oscillatory lever having oppositely extended arms, alink connecting each lever arm and one of the end trunnions of theneck-bows, a master rod, and an individual rod in connection with theoscillatory lever, the opposite end of which levier is detachablysecured to the master ro Y 2. A stanchion comprising a shackledyoke-bar, oppositely disposed bows pivoted thereto, a verticallydisposed trunnion carried at the end of each bow upon differenthorizontal planes, whereby said trunnions are adapted to be axiallyalined when the bows are closed to form a common pivot point, a slottedrail through which the upper ends of the bows project, a collar carriedby each bow at its upper end for engagement with the rail, a fulcrumedlever having oppositely extended arms, a wrist-pin carried by each arm,a link in pivotal union with each lever-arm wrist-pin and one of the endshackles of the neck-bows, the lever pivoted ends of the links beingarranged to approximately aline with the fulcrum point of said leverwhen the bows are closed, whereby the same are locked in said closedposition.

3. A stanchion comprising a slotted over head rail, a fixed supporttherefor, means for adjusting said rail upon the fixed su port, ayoke-bar, means for anchoring t e same, bows having their lower endspivoted to the yoke-bar, their upper ends being extended through therail slot, vertically disposed trunnions in connection 'with the upperterminals of the bow rods, thetrunnions being upon dilferent horizontalplanes, whereby they are adapted to be alined to form a common pivotpoint when the bows are closed, slidable supporting collars carried bythe bow rmembers in engagement with the upper face of the rail wherebysaid bows are suspended, an oscillatory two-arm lever, links connectingeach arm and one of the bow trunnions, a reciprocative mastor rod, andan individual operating rod having one end connected to the oscillatorylever and its opposite end in connection with said master rod.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand atOconoinowoc in the county of Waukesha and State of \Visconsin in thepresence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK W. MOLDENHAlIER. lVitnesses ANTHONY B. RoGAN, H. E. WELoH.

